The need for affection in human beings is unique in the sense that we are a social species who require a certain degree of contact with other human beings. Although some individuals may be perceived as “loners,” maintaining the ability to ignore relationships with others, there is still a sense of emptiness that exists when we are isolated from human interaction. Therefore, need for affection is carried across geographical and cultural boundaries, and every country has their own special system of expressing various emotions.

Affection is more than just an emotion, it can be considered by some as a requirement in healthy relationships. Affection is an ebb and flow between two people, where each individual is giving and receiving a certain amount of contact and interaction at all times. Whether it is through a hug, kiss or just a phone call, affection is the way we show others in our lives how important they are in the world.

What is Affection

It can be easy to assume that affection is a type of emotion. But what is affection and why do we feel the need for it in our relationships? Affection, much like emotion, is a connection between two people, a kind of social interaction that can exist on varying levels. We can have a need for affection with just about anyone or anything. You feel affection for a family pet or for your parents. You also feel affection towards friends and romantic interests. What is so unique about our need for affection is that it can have varying degrees of intensities, depending on each of your specific relationships.

Affection and emotion seem closely related, but in reality, they are different. Emotion is something attributed internally, while affection is something that you tend to “give” someone. According to biopsychology.com, basically, affection is work, while emotion is something that just happens within you. When you begin a new relationship, you work at showing the other person how much you care about their well-being or about their happiness.

You can fulfill someone’s need for affection by purchasing gifts for them or by going to see their favorite movie. This all takes work on your part to show that special someone just how much you care. Whereas with emotion, we can experience this reaction throughout the day without ever having to physically show someone the affinity you have for him or her. For example, just thinking about a person in your life can bring forth emotion, and that particular individual has no clue what is going through your head.

Affection is also something that can be stored and saved for later events or moments in your life. We provide the need for affection to others during various holidays, family gatherings, or when a loved one is sick or dying. You may offer the need for affection to someone who is stuck in the hospital. Perhaps the holiday spirit provokes you to donate money to your favorite charity or give extra bonuses at the office. Whatever the action may be, you are not always bound to fulfill someone’s need for affection every single day of your life.

Why We Need it

Why do we seem to have a need for affection, especially in our romantic relationships? The need for affection arises because it makes us feel secure and wanted by another individual according to marriagebuilders.com. Parents fulfill their children’s need for affection by helping them grow into adults, offering them advice when they encounter crises, and providing a roof over their head. Your spouse fulfills a need for affection by showing you how much he or she needs you in their life. Affection is the proverbial glue that holds our different relationships together.

The need for affection solidifies our desire to know we are compatible with another human being, even if the relationship is on the friendship or familial level. It creates a sense of harmony in a relationship, especially when it is an intimate one, according to about.com. Giving and receiving affection means understanding our own emotional boundaries. It means understanding how far we are willing to go out on a limb and put ourselves at risk for being hurt by someone. Fulfilling the need for affection requires us to let people into our minds and our hearts as a way to solidify a commitment.

Looking at this physical demonstration of emotion as a way to feel compatible can take the need for affection a step beyond love. Love is about willingly putting another human being’s needs above your own. Affection, on the other hand, tells the world that you are content with someone and that you know exactly what makes the other person tick. Marriagemissions.com says that love can be viewed as the unconditional acceptance of someone without the feeling of closeness or passion that comes with understanding a person’s needs on several different levels.

Showing affection can be difficult for certain people because it may be regarded as a sign of weakness. Perhaps a person has trouble physically displaying emotions. Giving affection can be just as important as receiving it, and can offer a person a sense of emotional release and fulfillment when they show someone how much they care. Human beings are unique in the sense that we require a certain amount of affection in life, especially when we are young or ill.

How to Show Affection

Knowing that people have a need for affection, how do you go about showing it in your relationships? Because affection is linked with action, it is easy to surmise that countless ways exists when you demonstrate feelings for someone. How you choose to fulfill a need for affection will depend on the type of relationship you are focused on now. How you choose to show affection can also be determined by where you live in the world.

Despite the fact there are universal demonstrations of showing someone how you feel, the need for affection varies across cultural and geographical lines. In Europe, greeting someone by kissing each cheek is considered normal to Europeans, while Americans like to greet each other with a handshake or a hug. But the ultimate goal of fulfilling the need for affection is the same across all lines and cultural barriers, and that is to single someone out and make them feel special at a particular moment.

Fulfilling someone’s need for affection can be as simple as giving someone a hug or holding hands in a crowded shopping center. Affection can be shown verbally by telling someone how great they are doing or providing words of encouragement when they are stressed. Affection is demonstrated in meaningful conversations on first dates, or through flowers sent to your special someone at home or at work. And to no avail, affection is greatly showed by the giving and receiving of sexual satisfaction.

Then next time you illustrate affection towards someone, stop and think about how it makes them feel. Fully understand the impact you are having on their lives by helping them feel needed and desired as an individual. Only then will you receive the benefits of giving someone a piece of who you are as a person. The moments in time where we experience a connection with someone, on any level and in any relationship, are priceless. It demonstrates our ability, as human beings, to nurture and protect one another, and it teaches us humility and devotion for years to come.

Are you living your life to the fullest?

James Dean once said, "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." Do you take time to pursue your passions or are you a slave to the daily grind? Find out if you need a new lease on life with this need for affection quiz.